Olivia traded a glance with Brendan and they both grinned ruefully, settling back to enjoy the show. Only Ivy and Sophia could get into a serious debate about the ‘bite-able qualities’ of cherries versus apples. Once the two of them got started, they were unstoppable.
But soon, Olivia began to tune out their voices. Honestly, she had more than enough to think about right now. Back when she’d first been cast, it had meant everything to her that she was going to star opposite the same Hollywood megastar she had met and fallen in love with right here in her hometown. What she had not realised at the time was that it couldn’t last. When the film industry was hit with a strike, lots of movies were shut down – Eternal Sunset included. At first, Olivia had been relieved – she would have the time to properly prepare for the role, and would not have to up and leave Franklin Grove, and her family, behind.
But the strike also gave her and Jackson time to realise that they could grow apart. And they did.
Olivia had done the Hollywood scene now, and it confirmed for her where she belonged: right here in Franklin Grove. If only Jackson had felt the same. Her mouth twisted as she remembered their final split. As he’d toured around the world, they’d emailed less and less; their text messages had got shorter, the jokes more forced. Eventually, they both had no choice but to admit it wasn’t working any more. The memory wasn’t as painful as it had been but, still, she couldn’t help feeling sad.
I just wish I could know for sure that we made the right decision.
Sophia’s voice broke in with an all-too-painfully-relevant question: ‘So, will you rekindle your romance?’
Olivia’s mouth dropped open. Instinctively, she looked to Ivy for protection . . . but her twin just shrugged at her.
‘We’re just preparing you for the inevitable journalist questions,’ she said. ‘It’s for your own good – think of us as your personal publicists!’
Rolling her eyes, Olivia forced herself to relax. ‘I’ll always be glad to know Jackson,’ she said, and gave Sophia a gracious Hollywood smile.
Ivy gave her a thumbs-up of approval . . . then leapt in for a second prong of attack. ‘Will you know him as more than friends?’
Olivia widened her smile. ‘You can never have too many friends,’ she said sweetly. ‘And isn’t the weather in England lovely? Don’t you just love rain?’
Ivy collapsed into laughter. ‘Good job,’ she said. ‘I like your evasiveness. It’s practice for when you’re being hounded by gossip columns!’
Olivia shook her head. ‘I don’t think that’ll be any time soon. After all, this is my first starring role. I have a long way to go before I’m famous.’
‘Uh-uh.’ Sophia shook her head vigorously. ‘Don’t kid yourself, Olivia. People are already talking about you and Jackson! Everyone loves a beautiful couple, even a beautiful couple who are in splitsville.’
‘Especially a beautiful couple who are in splitsville,’ Ivy agreed. ‘What could be more fascinating? The magazines will all want to know exactly where you two are in your relationship.’
I only wish I knew that myself ! Olivia grimaced. There was so much unfinished business between her and Jackson, she couldn’t even begin to analyse it all. Even the way they’d broken up . . . she still didn’t completely understand what had happened. She’d been even more confused ever since Jackson had starting calling her again lately, sounding wistful as he talked about ‘the old days’.
‘Hey!’ A sharp voice interrupted her musing. It was the waitress, finally arriving. Her name-tag said ‘Joy’ . . . her face said that she hadn’t laughed in at least a year. ‘Are you ready to make your orders yet? Or are you just going to hang around chatting?’
Olivia blinked. Wow. I guess she really isn’t happy.
Sophia smiled calmly. ‘I’ll have a lamb burger with French fries, please.’
‘Oh, yeah?’ Brendan smirked. ‘Well, I will see your lamb burger and fries, and I will raise you . . . a Burgel!’
Joy-the-waitress stared at him.
Brendan raised his hands as if he were accepting applause. ‘Yes, yes, that is a hamburger in a bagel. Traditionally eaten for breakfast, but . . . I’m feeling a little cavalier.’
As Ivy and Sophia chortled, Olivia just blinked. ‘Uh . . .’ She looked around the three grinning faces. ‘What exactly is going on?’
‘It’s a new game we’re playing.’ Ivy dug Brendan in the ribs. ‘We like to call it . . . “raising the steaks”!’
Olivia frowned. ‘Raising the stakes?’
‘You know,’ Sophia said. ‘Meat . . . steaks . . . and . . .’ Twisting her body to hide the movement from the waitress’s eyesight, she crooked her fingers in a ‘fangs’ gesture that definitely meant vampires. ‘The person to order the weirdest, meatiest thing on the menu wins.’
Olivia snickered. ‘Sounds . . . “fun”.’
‘You wanna hurry it along, folks?’ Joy’s face looked as sour as if she’d bitten into a lemon. ‘Or am I going to grow old and die while waiting for one more wonderful pun?’
Ivy scooped up her menu. ‘I will see Brendan’s Burgel and raise him a . . . um . . . er . . .’
Olivia leaned over to scour the menu at the same time as her twin. ‘Wow,’ she breathed. ‘I can’t believe it. The Burgel really is listed!’
‘And it’s the most ridiculous thing on there,’ Ivy moaned. ‘How am I supposed to top that?’
‘Yes!’ Brendan pumped his fist. ‘I win!’
‘Not so fast, Buster.’ Ivy smacked down the menu with a look of triumph. ‘Because I will have . . . a doughger!’
‘A what?’ four voices chorused at once.
Ivy beamed at the whole group. ‘A hamburger,’ she said, ‘inside a doughnut!’
‘Oh, please.’ Joy rolled her eyes even as she wrote the order down. ‘And for you?’ She turned to Olivia, her expression weary. ‘Let me guess. A hamburger in a brownie? Or in an ice-cream cone?’
‘No, thank you.’ Olivia smiled. ‘I’ll just have a chickpea salad.’
Joy blinked rapidly. ‘Could you repeat that order, please? I don’t think I got that.’
Olivia repeated it calmly, while her three vampire friends covered their mouths to keep from laughing. Joy sighed as she turned away. She stopped after a few steps, turning to call back:
‘I forgot to ask. How would you kids like your burgers?’
Olivia shook her head. As if she had to ask.
All three vampires chorused as one: ‘Rare.’
Half an hour later, Olivia set down her spoon and looked around the table.
Ivy was lolling in her seat, clutching her stomach. ‘Why didn’t anybody stop me from eating that doughger?’
Brendan had his arm around Ivy and was grinning as he teased her. ‘We didn’t dare. You and that doughger had a special thing going!’
Sophia was drawing fashion designs on her napkin with a bat-winged fountain pen. Olivia smiled around at all of them and stood, picking up her beaded purse. ‘OK,’ she said, giving a little wave. ‘See ya.’
‘Wait